Obituary Examples for a Colleague

You might include your colleague's full name, age, date of passing, career or professional achievements and important details from their life, where these are known to you. You can also share their interests, personal qualities and memories that reflect the person you knew beyond their job or role. You don't need to know every detail of their life — focus on what you can share with confidence and what helps readers understand who they were and the difference they made to those around them.

Yes. If you need help writing an obituary, you don't have to work everything out by yourself. With our Obituary Draft service, you share the details and memories you have, and a real person shapes them into a clear, respectful first draft, ready for you to personalise. Your draft also includes Personalisation Guidance tailored to the information you've shared, helping you make any final adjustments in your own words.

An obituary usually follows a clear structure rather than a strict format. You might begin by introducing your colleague and sharing the key details you know, then describe their career, interests, personal qualities and the contribution they made to those around them. Include a few memories or details that capture the person you knew, while recognising that other parts of their life may be better represented by family or close friends. The aim is to bring the information and memories you have together in a way that feels natural and respectful.

You can start an obituary by introducing your colleague by name, followed by their age and date of passing if these details are known and appropriate to share. Another approach is to begin with a short sentence that captures something distinctive about their character, their work or the contribution they made to those around them. A simple, respectful opening is enough — you can develop the more personal details as the obituary continues.

The length depends on where the obituary will be published and how much you would like to share. A short notice might be around 80–120 words, while a fuller obituary may be approximately 150–300 words or longer. Newspapers and funeral homes may have their own word limits or publication costs, so it's worth checking before you begin. Choose a length that gives you enough space for the essential details, personal qualities and contribution you want to remember, without feeling that you must cover every part of their life.

An obituary can end with funeral or memorial service details, donation preferences or a short closing message, where these are known and appropriate to include. You might also finish with a reflection on how your colleague will be remembered, the contribution they made through their work or the impact they had on the people around them. A few sincere words can bring the obituary to a thoughtful close.